[Christine1]

In nucleophilic addition reaction, can water acts as nucleophile in order to get conjugate addition product? I know that if the nucleophile is a strong base, instead of conjugate addition product, direct addition product would be obtained. So, is water capable of becoming a nucleophile to get conjugate addition product?
Also, what sort of solvent is needed in order to obtain conjugate addition product?
I see some of the examples, they use NaOH and water, but is NaOH capable of acting as strong basicity nucleophile?

Thanks so much...

[rucik5]

Hi,
I could use some help here but I don't think that water or OH- could add in a 1,4 fashion. Usually you can add amines, cyanide, or organocopper reagents to get there, but I've never seen OH put on like that.

[Honclbrif]

A Reaxys search is showing me that oxygen nucleophiles can undergo conjugate addition to a,b-unsaturated carbonyls, but they tend to use acid catalysts or the sodium salt of the nucleophile.

[BluePill]

Water would form an adduct across the double bond instead of 1,4-adduct.